A warning to mums - don't forget about dad

MUMS getting ready to celebrate Mothering Sunday later this month are reminded that their relationships with their partners are just as important as their bonds with their children.

Marie Dempsey, a counsellor at relationship support charity, Marriage Care’s Wiltshire centre, said: “The transition from being a couple to being a family can bring a lot of joy, but it also brings pressures that can turn couple relationships upside down.

“Sadly 50 per cent of parents who separate do so within three years of having a baby due to the extra demands that having children makes on your emotions, time and energy.

“Relationship breakdown can have a devastating impact on children and the whole family. We’d like to encourage mothers and fathers to put their relationship with each other first, which will ultimately benefit the whole family.

“This won’t happen unless you plan for it, for example by deciding to spend more quality time listening and talking to your partner every day, or scheduling child-free date nights at least once per month.”